Charles Honoris Urges MK Ruling on Free Nutritious Meals to Apply in 2027 State Budget
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Charles Honoris, Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), has urged that the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the budget for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme be applied in the drafting of the 2027 fiscal year state budget (APBN).
According to him, the Constitutional Court has provided a clear interpretation in its ruling that the nutritious meals budget must not be drawn from the education budget. Therefore, the government should promptly comply with the Court’s order.
“If we want to abide by the constitution and not violate it, then the Court’s ruling must be implemented immediately, namely budgeted in 2027. If necessary, even a revised 2026 state budget should be prepared,” Charles said when met at the DPR building in Jakarta on Monday.
The implementation of the ruling depends on government policy. Given the time remaining before the 2027 budget bill is approved, the legislator specialising in social security expressed hope that the government could make adjustments promptly.
“The government, as the manager of the state, is certainly expected to abide by the constitution and promptly implement what the Constitutional Court has decided,” he said.
He views the Court’s ruling as momentum for the National Nutrition Agency (BGN) to redesign the MBG programme, from evaluating beneficiaries to kitchen management. Through such an evaluation, the programme’s budget would be reduced.
Commission IX, he said, has not yet discussed the ruling in full. However, Charles believes all political party factions support refocusing the MBG budget to make it more effective and efficient.
He also said he does not want a repeat of what happened under the agency’s previous leadership.
“We certainly do not want to see again what happened in the previous period — reckless spending, the purchase of large numbers of motorcycles that were not well targeted, with prices even indicated to have been extraordinarily marked up,” Charles said.
Previously, through decision number 40/PUU-XXIV/2026, the Constitutional Court declared that the MBG programme budget must be separated from the operational budget for education. The Court stated that the nutritious meals programme is not a core component of education.
In its ruling, the Court ordered that the separation take effect no later than in the 2028 fiscal year, or at the latest two years after the decision was read on Thursday (30 July).
In its considerations, the Court affirmed that the allocation of education funds of at least 20 per cent mandated by the constitution is intended to finance the core components of education.
The core components of education as defined by the Court are students, teachers and education personnel, facilities and infrastructure, curricula, and educational evaluation and development.
“Financing for those core components does not include financing for the MBG programme,” the Court’s considerations stated, as quoted from a copy of the ruling.
The Court declared that the Elucidation of Article 22 paragraph (3) of Law Number 17 of 2025 on the 2026 state budget resulted in the non-fulfilment of the mandatory spending principle mandated by Article 31 paragraphs (2) and (4) of the 1945 Constitution, thereby creating legal uncertainty.
The Court partially granted the petition filed by the Taman Belajar Nusantara Foundation, Dzakwan Fadhil Putra Kusuma, Muhammad Jundi Fathi Rizky, Rikza Anung Andita Putra, Sa’ed, and Indra Kusuma.